History of the
Charlotte Area Fund, Inc.
As A Community Action Agency

The Charlotte Area Fund (CAF) pre-dates the Office of Economic Opportunity! CAF is one of the first five agencies funded by the North Carolina Fund in 1963. With the enactment of the Economic Opportunity Act in 1964, the agency was designated as the Community Action Agency for Mecklenburg County.

The Charlotte Area Fund, Inc. was established on August 29, 1963 for the following purposes.

"To do such things as are necessary or desirable for advancing the general welfare of the people in the area of Charlotte, North Carolina, or for educational, scientific or charitable purposes in such area.

To study the problems involved in accomplishing the foregoing purposes; to obtain grants for research, pilot experimental and other projects directed toward the solution of such problems, and to make and recommend grants for research, pilot experimental and other projects directed toward the solution of such problems; to make available professional staff services to private and public agencies seeking solutions to such community action in devising and developing such solutions; and to encourage wise use of public and philanthropic funds dedicated to any of these purposes."

During Lyndon Johnson's presidency, the Civil Rights Act and the Economic Opportunity Act were passed in May of 1964. The first guaranteed equal opportunity for everyone and the second was to implement that guarantee in the economic sector. The act established the federal Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) to carry out its legislation. At the local level, new entities called Community Action Agencies (CAAs) were created to initiate and operate the local War on Poverty. One provision of the Economic Opportunity Act called for the poor themselves to have "maximum feasible participation" in identifying problems and in developing solutions. Neighborhood organizations were formed by the CAAs or as part of the CAAs to help people learn how to work effectively within the system and how to "change the system."

The basic purposes to which CAAs are dedicated are as follows:

• To aid the poor in their ability to influence social decision-making processes.
  

• To expand the participation of the disadvantaged, or their representatives, in anti-poverty efforts.

• To promote changes in the method of providing local services so that they are more conducive to target area conditions.

• To mobilize the community resources -- in terms of dollars and in-kind matching contributions -- behind anti-poverty efforts.

• To provide professional expertise and service to anti-poverty efforts where such expertise and/or service is needed and is not commonly available in the community.

• To coordinate the anti-poverty efforts of private and public agencies currently providing services to target area residents.
  

By 1969, many successful self-help programs had been initiated by the Office of Economic Opportunity and Community Action Agencies. These included Head Start, Family Planning, Community Health Centers, Legal Services, VISTA, Foster Grandparents, Economic Development, Neighborhood Centers, Summer Youth Programs, Adult Basic Education, Senior Centers, Congregate Meal Preparation, and many others. Many of these programs started as programs within OEO/CAAs and were later picked up and turned into new programs and federal agencies by the Congress.

In 1974, under President Gerald Ford, the Community Services amendments were passed. The Office of Economic Opportunity was "dismantled," and the "new" Community Services Administration (CSA) replaces it. CSA had the same federal employees and administered the same programs to the same CAAs as the OEO. CAAs started the home weatherization and energy crisis payments programs in the mid 1970's. On September 30, 1981, the Community Services Administration was abolished and Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 was rescinded.

One of the eight new block grants created in the summer of 1981 was the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG). The CSBG provided specifically that federal funding for CAAs be continued. In most states the State Economic Opportunity Office that had existed under OEO and CSA became the State Administering Agency for the CSBG.

Some of the initiatives developed and programs operated by the Charlotte Area Fund in the past are:

The Charlotte Area Fund currently operates the Customized Employment Opportunities, Family Independence and Nutrition Projects funded under the Community Services Block Grant and administered by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Economic Opportunity. The agency also operates the Weatherization Assistance Program and Heating Air Repair and Replacement Program for Mecklenburg and Union Counties administered by the Division of Energy, Office of Economic Opportunity. Mecklenburg County funds the agency's Specialized Seniors Program.

Bibliography Notes
Masters, Jim. Executive Directors' Manual (Volume II). Washington, DC: National Association of Community Action Agencies, 1994.
Board Members' Manual. Washington, DC: Community Services Administration.